# Erinmore FLAKE



## Davetopay (Jan 19, 2008)

Where to begin? It smells like candy. The flakes are comically small. In fact I just grab 2 every time I go to smoke some of this puzzler. There is all kinds of lore/speculation about the topping and the pineapple on the tin. Is it a full on aromatic? Is it a sort of hybrid like some people consider University Flake to be? Let's dive in!

The tin.....The tin design is delightfully dated. The colors and art work harken back to a slower, simpler time. The tiny pocket sized shape make me think it was MEANT to be carried about in the breast pocket of one's jacket. Forgive me if I delve to deep into speculation of the marketing here....easy transport, and bright colors mean you will be more likely to be seen in public with the product. Ever try to stuff a 100g tin of Mac Barren Plum Cake in your shirt pocket? 

The size of the flakes....they are small. Cute in a way. You can stick your fingers in the tin, grab one, fold it over, stuff it, and do the same again if your pipe has room. All the while holding the pipe AND tin in the the other hand. Easy flake smoking on the go! I TOLD you I was going to speculate heavily about the marketing going on with this brand.

The SMELL: Love it or hate it, it is a unique aroma. People say pineapple, passion fruit, Juicy Fruit gum, cooked candy chews, and many other things are brought to mind. I have found something of a tropical melange of aromas when popping the tin. I first got hit with coconut. A sweet dry coconut nut unlike the aroma in a tin of Larson No 80. There is also a gooey sweet citrus note in the back, like ......PINEAPPLE. Possibly also mango. I also get a little hit of vanilla. The aroma seems like a dessert and tempts one to take a bite, which made me wonder if kids have ever gotten a hold of this stuff and ended up riding the puke train after finding out the hard way that it wasn't gum or candy. Yes, I am a wee bit evil as I chuckled at the hard lesson they would learn.

The taste: Golden Virginia. Smooth, toasty, nutty, cool burley. Nothing surprising, except for the quality. There are some damned fine tobaccos pressed together here, and they aren't afraid to tell you so. Not bitey, not bitter, not sticky sweet, but yummy in a well rounded way. The topping is something I was worried about. The aroma in the tin was so prominent, I felt sure it would be all over the smoke, and coat my mouth and sinuses like silicone gasket sealer. I was WRONG!(there is a first time for everything)Somehow, be it black magic, divine intervention, or just really knowing what they are doing, they got the topping/casing to work PARALLEL to the tobacco. That's right, it is in the room note just enough to be pleasing to your companion and passers by, you will occasionally catch it in the side stream or on the mustache, but it doesn't figure prominently in the overall flavor of the smoke. All in all, I think there are some similarities in the base blend between this and Uni Flake, but they are certainly not the same.....just similar. I think the Erinmore is brighter with more of a lemon VA tang than a stoved VA darkness. I shall digress! Marketing? Oh hell yes. A high quality, rich, decently complex VA based flake for the experienced smoker who also needs to keep the public around him happy? Hmmmmmm. I told you this stuff had some planning behind it.

The physical smoking experience: Easy, carefree, dry, with a solid dose of vitamin N. I didn't get bitten, gurgled, or felt a need to fuss with the contents of the bowl. You might need to relight on occasion, depending upon your smoking and packing styles, but I just puffed along without a problem. Amazingly, I failed to find any ghouls, demons, or ghosts in my bowl afterward.


All in all: A winner!...and a window into how one might chose a tobacco to keep with them all day. An attractive package which is easy to handle, containing a quality tobacco, posessing a pleasant room note, which deliver a non-fussy smoke all day. I told you they were smart when they came up with this stuff. It probably has something to do with it still being on the market to this day.


ENJOY!


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## FiveStar (Jan 7, 2010)

This is an absolutely stellar review Dave! How you been smokin this one? Rubbed out or just stuffing it? I've found it a bit moist, and the humidity here in NC hasn't allowed it to dry one bit since I opened the tin.


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## dj1340 (Mar 30, 2009)

Thanks for the review Dave, nicely done. I bought a tin of Erinmore last year and have been waiting to try it,
this review gives me a little incentive to open sooner than later.


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## Davetopay (Jan 19, 2008)

FiveStar said:


> This is an absolutely stellar review Dave! How you been smokin this one? Rubbed out or just stuffing it? I've found it a bit moist, and the humidity here in NC hasn't allowed it to dry one bit since I opened the tin.


9 out of 10 smokes with any flake, I crumble but don't totally rub out to ribbons. Whole flakes are a bitch to keep lit many times. I haven't bothered to dry mine at all.


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## Davetopay (Jan 19, 2008)

dj1340 said:


> Thanks for the review Dave, nicely done. I bought a tin of Erinmore last year and have been waiting to try it,
> this review gives me a little incentive to open sooner than later.


If you are worried about it being too young, there is a date code on the tin. The first two digits are the year.


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## commonsenseman (Apr 18, 2008)

Great review Dave!


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## mike t (Oct 21, 2008)

the aroma is supposed to be that of prunes, don't smell like that to me. the pineapple on the top is to signify royalty or some kinda crap but i like it too.


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## sepia5 (Feb 14, 2006)

mike t said:


> the aroma is supposed to be that of prunes, don't smell like that to me. the pineapple on the top is to signify royalty or some kinda crap but i like it too.


So I've recently been trying to get into this blend, and, unlike so many who apparently get pineapple and coconut upon opening the tin, I do smell prunes distinctly. I love the tin aroma.

Unfortunately, that's about where my love affair with this tobacco ends. I've tried rubbing the hell out of it and folding and stuffing; I've tried smoking it straight from the tin and drying it for an entire day; I've tried it in 4 different pipes of varying shapes. All I get is something that's tough to keep lit and is harsh without any discernible sweetness I'm accustomed to from many other Virginia blends.

Any recommendations with this one guys? I know this is supposed to be a polarizing smoke, but it seems like even those who dislike it do so because they feel it is too heavily cased and too sweet. I'm not getting that at all.


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## RJpuffs (Jan 27, 2008)

sepia5 said:


> ...
> Any recommendations with this one guys? I know this is supposed to be a polarizing smoke, but it seems like even those who dislike it do so because they feel it is too heavily cased and too sweet. I'm not getting that at all.


I found it to have an odd flavor, baking bread. I didn't like it, and yes, as you mentioned it appears to be a love-it-or-mail-it-to-Blaylock blend :doh:


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

Fine review, Dave! As I read along, I became more and more confused. What!? No WAY! NOBODY would recommend carrying this stuff around with them in public.

Then I realized it was ERINMORE, not ENNERDALE. whew.

I have a tin of this. Don't know when I'll get around to it, but it sounds very interesting, however it turns out.


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

FiveStar said:


> This is an absolutely stellar review Dave! How you been smokin this one? Rubbed out or just stuffing it? I've found it a bit moist, and the humidity here in NC hasn't allowed it to dry one bit since I opened the tin.


Just cracked a tin yesterday. The only way I've smoked my five bowls is cannonballing, which seems to work really well with these flakes. The moisture level is just perfect, right out of the tin if you ask me. One flake, lossely cannonballed into a small MM is right on the money. I'm able to smoke it right down to nothing but ash without any relights at all. One flake worked just dandy in the smallish Bari Dana, too.

Delicious! I'm ordering a whole great whack of this stuff!


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## ruralhipster (Jan 15, 2010)

I am a big fan and have an african meer dedicated to this fine flake. Lately I take a flake and fold twice then give it a quick rub between the fingers before shoving in the pipe, a sliver rubbed out or some dregs from the tin top it off, light and go.


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

freestoke said:


> Delicious! I'm ordering a whole great whack of this stuff!


Wow, it's been February since I started on Erinmore! Tempis fugit! I'd like to say at this point that it's one of my favorite flakes, period. I did in fact order 10 more tins of it at the time! :lol: And glad I did! One of the most forgiving smokes around, for sure. I'd write my own review, but you and Nate seem to have have pretty much nailed it. Nice job to both of you!


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## Natedogg (Jun 21, 2010)

Awesome review. This is still one of my favorites and I'm down to 1 tin of it . I really like it if I pop the tin, put the lid back on, and let it sit for a week or so. It dries it out just enough and it seems to open up a bit.


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## Xodar (Mar 4, 2011)

Great review, really makes me want to try some. I had also associated Ennerdale and Erinmore, but if it's not a lakeland I have been wanting to try something citrrus-sy. Sliding this up the TAD list.


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## CBR (Mar 31, 2010)

freestoke, if you ever pass throughout Dubai duty free they have a crazy deal on erinmore flake; 5 50gram tins for about the equivalent of US$15. I passed through in April but didn't pick any up (sorry, just saw this thread or I woulda bought it and sent it over).


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## Hambone1 (May 31, 2011)

Never tried a flake before and this makes me want to try. Off to smokingpipes.com to order me some.


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## CBR (Mar 31, 2010)

Xodar said:


> Great review, really makes me want to try some. I had also associated Ennerdale and Erinmore, but if it's not a lakeland I have been wanting to try something citrrus-sy. Sliding this up the TAD list.


Ennerdale was my first exposure to Lakelands, I may be in the minority here but that's one flake I had to pass on!


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

Xodar said:


> Great review, really makes me want to try some. I had also associated Ennerdale and Erinmore, but if it's not a lakeland I have been wanting to try something citrrus-sy. Sliding this up the TAD list.


Definitely not a Lakeland, John, not even close. I really don't see how you can go wrong.. I think the love/hate balance is WAY unbalanced in the LOVE direction. Seems like the negative reviews on tobakrevs are sort of stupid, even misguided, in general. (Like, what's with the "can't keep it lit" nonsense? You can practically set it down after you light it and let it burn to the bottom by itself! :lol: ) With Ennerdale I can see real pipe smokers running for the exits, but not this one. Lots of 4 stars from people who sound like they know their shinola. Not to everyone's taste, of course, but I think you'd like it a lot.


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## Xodar (Mar 4, 2011)

Thanks Jim. I usually take TR with a grain of salt anyhow, but like my father once told me about something totally unrelated, the worst I ever had was pretty good...

Except for Lakelands of course, lol. I've been kind of looking for a fruity aromatic to get some occasional burn time, how does Erinmore compare to Uni Flake or OGS?


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

Xodar said:


> Thanks Jim. I usually take TR with a grain of salt anyhow, but like my father once told me about something totally unrelated, the worst I ever had was pretty good...
> 
> Except for Lakelands of course, lol. I've been kind of looking for a fruity aromatic to get some occasional burn time, how does Erinmore compare to Uni Flake or OGS?


Wow. Haven't smoke UF in many months, but from what I remember, Erinmore is sorta along the same lines, but maybe a bit fruitier. Flakes are smaller and possibly a bit thinner-stranded than UF. (Looking at some IF for comparison...neehhh...close for the strand size.) If I'm remembering right, Erinmore is a little easier to keep lit, although neither of them is a problem.

Never had OGS, although I have a couple of tins that I haven't opened.


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## karatekyle (Nov 2, 2010)

Erinmore is literally the top of my list. I could smoke nothing but this for the rest of my life and be just fine. And I really like UF and IF too, but erinmore takes the cake 10 times out of 10 for me. I transport all my pipeleaf in empty erinmore tins because just taking tobacco out of that yellow tin makes my brain decide to like it more. A++ review!


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## CBR (Mar 31, 2010)

Erinmore
OGS
UF

That's my personal scale for those three blends above; fruitiness is at the top and strength is at the bottom. UF really only tastes sweet for the first 5-10 mins then it kinda fades out. The strength is more noticeable than Erindale though. OGS to me is very citrus tasting which comes and goes, some Va notes are always present but even with two bowls back to back you'll still be steady enough to peel fruit without slicing off a thumb.


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## laloin (Jun 29, 2010)

never tried Erinmore Flake, but I should get a 100 gram tin just to try, worse thing that can happen is I don't like it and trade for something I like.
OGS is pretty fruitty, but it goes in and out. mostly it grass/hayish notes like Virginia and the fruitty notes comes and goes. good blend thou
troy


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## d_day (Aug 24, 2008)

I haven't seen a 100 gram tin in ages. Ever since they moved production to someone else I've seen nothing but the 50 gram tins. Lucky for me I've still got a couple of unopened old school Murray tins. The new tins are made by Orlik. Haven't tried the new ones yet.


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## Senator (Feb 8, 2008)

laloin said:


> never tried Erinmore Flake, but I should get a 100 gram tin just to try, worse thing that can happen is I don't like it and trade for something I like.
> OGS is pretty fruitty, but it goes in and out. mostly it grass/hayish notes like Virginia and the fruitty notes comes and goes. good blend thou
> troy


Be careful not to confuse Erinmore_ Mixture_ which comes in 100g tins with the Erinmore _Flake _which comes in 50g tins. Very different...and the Mixture is not that great, IMO!

All this talk of Erinmore has me wanting to grab one of my tins from the cellar and open!!!


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